Spyder

In Boulder, Colorado in the 1970s, David Jacobs (former Canadian Downhill Ski Champion) started making and selling racing sweaters when there was only one other brand in that market. His gear quickly caught on and he expanded to race pants and other gear for ski racers. He named the company Spyder because his sons friends said the yellow stripes on the pants looked like spider legs, and because he was a fan of the Ferrari Spyder. He briefly sold the company to Hanson Industries in the early 80s and then bought it back.

The Spyder brand has always been associated with aggressive, hard-core skiers — whether in racing, moguls, park, or big mountain skiing. It sponsors hard-charging athletes, and is now the largest ski-specialty brand in the world.